A COUNCIL'S front-line advice service has been a great success, dealing with at least 7,000 inquiries a month, says a new report.

And 62 per cent of people asking for help from Blackburn with Darwen Council wanted benefits advice, the council's advice and entitlements sub-committee will be told.

The department helps with benefits, housing, debt problems and council tax as well as assessing entitlement to education grants and benefits.

During April, more than 8,000 inquiries were dealt with by the advice and information service in Blackburn Town Hall foyer while more than 2,000 people used a similar service at Darwen Town Hall.

The Travel and Local Information Centre in Railway Road, Blackburn, has been dealing with 400 callers a day.

Rights, advice and entitlement staff are available to help at Jubilee House, Jubilee Street, Blackburn, where the council's social services, housing and education departments are based.

A welfare rights office has also been opened in Darwen. Calls to the council switchboard have increased significantly since the council gained unitary status.

But the council says that despite some initial difficulties caused by office moves, there has been an improvement in the number of calls answered within 15 seconds.

The last year has also seen an improvement in the way benefit claims are handled, with more new claims processed within 14 days.

Councillor Maureen Bateson, chairman of the council's rights, advice and entitlements sub-committee, said: "Our primary aim is to help improve the quality of life for everyone in the borough and ensure that all local people have equal access to the best possible help, information and advice.

"We are now taking responsibility for a wider range of services and looking at improving accessibility for all our customers as well as continuing to improve the service."

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